The Environmental Engineering Program offers two graduate degrees, Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). The M.S. degree is awarded in Environmental Engineering and may be either research-based, Plan A, or coursework-based, Plan B. Plan A students often pursue further Ph.D. studies or careers in research and development in government and private institutes. The Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering prepares students for research and teaching careers in environmental engineering, including higher education, private foundations, and state, local, or federal government agencies. 

Environmental Engineering Requirements

The M.S. and the Ph.D. requirements in Environmental Engineering conform to Graduate School requirements. The specific requirements for coursework and research are described below. The Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering does not have a related area or foreign language requirement, unless one is specified by the advisory committee.

Environmental Engineering M.S. Plan A Requirements

A total of 30 credits are required for graduation, with a minimum of 21 credits of coursework in Environmental Engineering or related area, including ENVE 5310 and 5320, and a minimum of nine credits of GRAD 5950 Master's Thesis Research. A student may enroll in GRAD 5950 Master's Thesis Research credits at any time during the M.S. degree and it is their responsibility to coordinate with their research advisor and secondarily, with their research committee, on the research plan and requirements for graduation.

A plan A M.S. requires the submission of an M.S. thesis, in the form of a submission-ready manuscript for publication, and an oral defense for graduation. The oral defense fulfills the role of the final examination for the M.S. degree. The scope, content and length of the M.S. thesis results from the agreement between the research advisor and the student. An advisory committee of at least two additional faculty members will also weigh in on the originality and quality of the thesis prior to graduation. In general, the thesis should present the methodology and results of novel, independent research conducted by the student. Thus, plan A M.S. thesis cannot be solely literature reviews or replicate research already published in the scientific literature. 

Environmental Engineering M.S. Plan B Requirements

A total of 30 credits are required for plan B Master’s, with a minimum of 27 credits of coursework in Environmental Engineering or related area, including ENVE 5310 and 5320. The remaining credits may be used towards additional courses or towards a research project by taking ENVE 5020 Independent Graduate Study in Environmental Engineering.

The final examination for a plan B Master’s is an oral or written exam on three core courses of Environmental Engineering: ENVE 5310 Environmental Transport Phenomena and two additional ENVE courses selected by the student. The exam will take place in the final semester before graduation and it will be administered by the advisory committee that will sign the Plan of Study and the Report on the Final Examination.

Environmental Engineering Ph.D. Requirements

If a student is admitted to the Ph.D. program with only a B.S. degree, at least 30 credits of coursework are required. If the student has a M.S. degree, the minimum requirement is 15 credits. However, if the M.S. degree is in a field other than Environmental Engineering, the student's advisory committee will determine the minimum number of credits required for coursework.

All Ph.D. students are required to take ENVE 5310 Environmental Transport Phenomena and ENVE 5320 Quantitative Methods for Engineers, and at least one other graduate level ENVE course. The remaining credits may be taken in any areas relevant to their research and professional development selected in consultation with the advisory committee. In addition, all students must register in the seminar course, ENVE 5094 Seminar in Environmental Sciences and Engineering, each semester it is offered.

Students must pass a Qualifying Examination taken after the student has completed at least 12 credits of coursework (with a M.S.) or 18 credits of coursework (with a B.S.). The program administers the examination twice a year, in January and in May. An approved Plan of Study must be filed with the Office of the Registrar before the Qualifying Examination can be taken. The Environmental Engineering Program administers the Qualifying Examination as both a written and an oral examination to test student mastery of core environmental engineering concepts and student ability to integrate concepts across disciplinary areas.

The General Examination is typically taken within one year after the qualifying examination. The student will prepare a dissertation proposal that outlines the proposed research for the dissertation. The student will defend their proposal in an oral examination to a minimum of five faculty, including all members of their advisory committee.

In addition to Graduate School requirements, the Environmental Engineering Program requires that a Ph.D. student must have three journal papers. One published or accepted for publication, one under review and one in the final stages of preparation. However, it is important that the three papers address a larger, coherent research question as outlined in the Dissertation Proposal and they are not isolated bodies of work.